Matt Liere’s fish and game report for June 1

Fly fishing

The North Fork Coeur d’Alene River is gin clear and there are all sorts of bugs out. For a successful trip, include lots of different patterns and colors. The difference between a light-colored fly and a dark one of the same pattern can be huge. Brighter streamers work best in sunny conditions, but prepare to switch to darker colors as the clouds move in. The St. Joe has gone up a little, but there is still a lot of fishable water if you’re willing to move around. As on the North Fork Coeur d’Alene, take a variety of patterns and colors.

The lower Spokane River re-opens today and should be high, but fishable. The upper river above upriver dam will re-open on Saturday. It may be fishable close to the state line, but otherwise, it is really moving.

The Clark Fork River in Montana has settled a bit, but it is still not in great shape. The smaller Montana waters, such as the St. Regis, may be better, but they, too, are a week or more away from prime. Concentrate on the pocket holding waters. Clarity is fine on the St. Regis.

Salmon and steelhead

Effective today, spring chinook fishing re-opens on the west side’s Lewis River, from the mouth upstream to the overhead powerlines below Merwin Dam. Escapement goals for the hatchery have been met, allowing anglers to pursue a daily limit of six hatchery chinook, of which only one may be an adult. Minimum size must be 12 inches. With the untimely May closing of chinook on the Snake, this may be the perfect excuse for an extended road trip.

Trout and kokanee

Williams Lake in Spokane County has been hot for trollers looking for big rainbows. The bite has been good all hours of the day, but is typically best before noon. Anglers pulling fluorescent yellow wedding rings tipped with worm near Tree 11 have been doing exceptionally well. Triploids weighing upwards of 4 pounds are not uncommon.

Rock Lake activity is beginning to warm up with the weather. Anglers dragging Mack’s Double D dodgers and 2.8-inch OG1’s this past weekend caught a fair number of steelhead and bows, with several measuring 17 inches. It hasn’t been lights-out action, but those caught are vibrant and feisty. Make sure your net handler is on top of their game as hooked fish approach the boat.

Lake Roosevelt kokanee have been slow to ramp up as fisherman struggle to find clear waters. But healthy investment often yields substantial returns, as it did for folks near Keller last weekend. After chasing fish for a couple of days, they finally hooked into a nice mix of kokes and rainbows fishing dodgers and hoochies in 5-15 feet of water. Use your depth finder to find choice drop-off edges holding eager-to-strike fish. A significant dose of patience will also improve your chances.

The arrival of warmer weather has inspired some kokanee anglers to try their luck night fishing Loon Lake’s Granite Point area. Fisherman anchored in 32 feet of water using floating lights and white and green glow hooks baited with corn or maggots managed to put limits of 10-inchers in the cooler in short order. The magic hour seemed to start around 10 p.m., but seasoned night-fishers don’t put much stock in the clock. Your best bet is to get set up as the sun goes down and wait it out.

Spiny ray

Fishing for walleye in the Spokane Arm of Lake Roosevelt is usually prime in May, but has been fairly slow due to the extended winter and spring conditions. Reports from Memorial Day weekend were encouraging, though, with anglers taking significant numbers of fish from shore and boats. The bite was strongest in the morning and evening, and the take were mostly males ranging 14-18 inches, with an occasional 20-incher to up the ante. Fish were responding well to Slow Death rigs with Smile blades and bottom-bouncing jigs.

Walleye are slowly picking up speed at Potholes Reservoir, but anglers should find plenty of faster action with opportunistic bass. Both small- and largemouth are coming out of the shallows, striking crankbaits and Slow Death walleye rigs at an impressive rate. Similar fishing can also be found at Moses Lake. At last check, water temps were holding around 67 degrees.

Billy Clapp Lake in Grant County is reporting decent action on walleye and smallies, with water temps hovering right around 60 degrees. Like most of the other area lakes, the fish are running a pan-size 17-18 inches.

Silver Lake in Spokane County has been very productive for bass and panfish, despite the high water. Those unfamiliar with the lake should take care to watch for rocks and islands hidden under the elevated level. Local residents and regulars are extremely helpful in pointing out the safest routes.

Other species

In addition to Priest Rapids and Wanapum reservoirs, a harvest fishery for white sturgeon is now open in Lake Roosevelt. Effective immediately, the season is open seven days per week through Sept. 17, from Grand Coulee Dam to China Bend boat ramp.

Beginning Aug. 1, sections from China Bend boat ramp upstream to the Canadian border will also open. It is legal to retain Roosevelt sturgeon 38-63 inches fork length. Daily limit is one, and up to two annually. WDFW recommends that any fish that will not be legally retained should not be removed from the water prior to release.

For more information, contact Chris Donley, WDFW Region 1 Fish Program Manager, (509) 892-1001 ext. 307, or Bill Baker, WDFW District 1 Fisheries Biologist, (509) 684-2362 ext. 23.

Hunting

Now that spring turkey has closed, hunting options this time of year are far and few between. This is a great time to do some homework and brush up on the WDFW’s objectives for 2017-18. Visit wdfw.wa.gov/ for regulations, management plans, the latest outdoor news and more.